LATHYRUS 



LAURUS 



1827 



19. vernus, Bernh. (Orobus vernus, Linn.). SPRING 

 BITTER VETCH. St. simple, somewhat pubescent, 1-2 

 ft. long: Ifts. 2-3 pairs, ovate-acuminate, light green; 

 stipules entire: peduncles 5-7-fld., shorter than the Ivs.; 

 fls. blue- violet; keel shaded with green, nodding. May, 

 June. Hills and woods, S. and Cent. Eu. B.M. 521. A 

 compact, tufted plant, growing quickly in sun or a little 

 shade; best in deep, sandy loam, in a sheltered position; 

 hardy. Var. albus, a white form, is rare. Var. flaccidus, 

 Ser. (Orobus fldccidus, Rad.) has very narrow flaccid Ivs. 



20. ornatus, Nutt. Fig. 2114. St. sometimes 

 branched, glabrous, often glaucous: Ifts. few pairs, 

 lanceolate-linear, rigid and strongly veined; stipules 

 entire : peduncles about 4-fld., longer than Ivs. ; fls. large, 

 purple, very showy. Plains eastern base of Rocky Mts. 



L. dlbus, Linn. f. Root of clustered club-shaped fibers: Ifts. 2-3 

 pairs, linear to lanceolate: fls. white or yellowish, standard some- 

 times purple, or rose on back. Eu. L. Cicera, Linn., and L. 

 Ochrus, DC., are annual forage plants. L. tuberdsus, Linn., has 

 been imported. It differs from all described above by having tubers. 

 It is a native of the northern parts of the Old World, and bears red 

 fls. which are generally fewer and smaller than those of L. sylvestris. 



A. PHELPS WYMAN. 



JOHN W. HARSHBERGER.f 



LAUREL. Properly Laurus nobilis, but other broad- 

 leaved evergreens have taken the name. The kalmias 

 are known as laurels. The cherry laurel is Prunus Lauro- 

 cerasus, and in America P. caroliniana. Portugal laurel 

 is P. lusitanica. Ground laurel is Epigaea. 



LAURELIA (from Laurus, because of resemblance in 

 leaves). Monimiacese. Aromatic forest trees, 2 in 

 Chile and 1 in New Zeal.: Ivs. coriaceous, opposite, 

 mostly serrate: fls. in axillary cymes or racemes, dioe- 

 cious or polygamous, apetalous; perianth or calyx of 

 male fls. with a short tube and 5-12 lobes in 2 or 3 

 series, and 4-12 stamens; perianth of other fls. narrower- 

 tubed and elongating after fertilization, 3-5-cleft, the 

 stamens reduced to scales or the outer ones perfect; 

 carpels numerous, with solitary erect ovules: achenes 

 small, included in the perianth. 



serrata, Bert. HUANHUAN TREE. Timber tree in 

 southern parts of Chile, and hardy in parts of S. Ireland, 

 to 70 ft., with fetid wood : Ivs. broadly oblong-lanceolate 

 or lanceolate, nearly or quite obtuse, glandular-serrate 

 with open spreading teeth, bearing pellucid glands, 

 aromatic: infl. axillary, cymose, simple or paniculate, 

 the 8-parted perianth greenish yellow, the segms. equal; 

 pedicels very short. B.M. 8279. G.C. III. 36:401 

 (as L. aromatica). 



L. ntox-zeaUndix, A. Cunn. Tree, to 80 or 120 ft. high, and 

 trunk 4-6 ft. diam., with radiating buttresses: Ivs. to 3 in. long, 

 oblong to oboyate, coarsely and bluntly serrate: fls. in axillary 

 racemes J^-l in. long on silky pedicels: Ivs. and young branches 

 aromatic when bruised. L. sempervirens, Tul. (L. aromatica, 

 Poir.). CHILEAN LAUREL. Lvs. undulate-serrate with appressed 

 teeth: infl. longer than in L. serrata and lax, periantn-segms. 

 differing or subequal, fertile stamens usually exceeding 4; pedicels 

 exceeding the fls. L H B 



LAURESTINUS: Popular name of Viburnum Tinus, 

 LAUROCfeRASUS: Prunus. 



LAURUS (the ancient name). Lauraceae. LAUREL. 

 SWEET BAY. The laurel or sweet bay tree of the florists 

 is the most universal of evergreen tub-plants. 



Laurus gives name to the family Lauracese, which 

 includes Cinnamomum, Camphora, Persea, Sassafras, 

 Lindera, Benzoin, and other genera. Many species have 

 been referred to Laurus, but with the exception of two, 

 these species are now placed in other genera. These 

 two are L. nobilis, Linn, (the subject of this sketch), 

 and L. canariensis, Webb & Berth., of the Canary Isls. 

 They are small trees, with stiff alternate simple Ivs.: 

 fls. dioecious or perfect, small and inconspicuous, in 

 small axillary umbels which in bud are inclosed in a 

 globose involucre; perianth with a short tube and a 

 4-parted limb; stamens 8-12 or more, and staminodia 



often present (staminodia usually 4 in fertile fl.); 

 ovary scarcely sunk in the receptacle, the style short: fr. 

 a small berry. L. nobilis, Linn., the sweet bay, has 

 stiff, dull green, entire, alternate Ivs. lanceolate or 

 lance-oblong in shape: yellowish fls. in early spring: 

 succulent, purple, cherry-like frs. It is native to the 

 Medit. region, sometimes attaining a height of 40-60 

 ft., but rarely assuming a true tree-like form. As a 

 cult, subject, it is grown as a small standard tree, with 

 a close-sheared top. The Ivs. are sometimes used in 

 cookery and the making of confections, because of their 

 pleasant aromatic flavor. The wreaths with which the 

 heroes of antiquity were crowned were made of laurel 

 Ivs. It is the laurel of history and poetry. Many other 

 trees are known as laurel because of the similarity of 

 their Ivs. The cherry laurel is Prumis Laurocerasus; 

 the Portugal laurel, Prunus lusitanica; laurel of the 



2114. Lathyrus ornatus. (XI) 



southern states, Prunus caroliniana; the laurel, or 

 mountain laurel of Calif, is UmbeUularia californica. 

 The Laurus Benzoin of trade catalogues is Benzoin 

 sestivale: L. Sassafras is the sassafras tree; L. Cam- 

 phora is the camphor tree (see Cinnamomum). It should 

 be said that the bay rum of commerce is not made 

 from the sweet bay, as some persons suppose, but from 

 a pimenta. 



The laurel endures abuse and neglect, the head can 

 be trimmed to almost any shape, and the growth may 

 be kept within small limits year after year. F.R. 1 :669. 

 (Fig. 2115.) It is, therefore, the most popular of plants 

 for decoration of open-air or exposed restaurants, 

 esplanades, architectural appurtenances, and the like. 

 Although much used in America, it is still more popu- 

 lar in Europe. Of the European dealers one may order 

 plants with heads trained to pyramids, cones, globes, 

 and the like, and with bodies long or short. The plant 

 will endure considerable frost. It is grown in the open 

 in England: "The sweet bay bush in the farmer's or 

 cottage garden comes with its story from the streams 



